1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to devices and methods of fitting and drilling finger holes in a bowling ball. More particularly, the present invention relates to bowling ball fitting devices that enable the holes for the thumb to be drilled in numerous different orientations with respect to the holes for the middle and ring fingers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A regulation bowling ball contains three finger holes. Typically, a bowler grasps the holes in the bowling ball with his/her middle finger, ring finger and thumb. However, every person has a uniquely shaped hand and fingers. Furthermore, every bowler has their own unique bowling style that is affected by the position of their fingers as they grasp and roll the bowling ball. It is for this reason that bowling balls are not manufactured with holes. Rather, bowling balls are manufactured as solid spheres. The finger holes are drilled into a bowling ball in a secondary procedure at the time of purchase of the bowling ball.
To drill a hole in a bowling ball, the purchaser of the bowling ball is first fitted. In the fitting procedure, a person's hand is placed within a fitting jig. The fitting jig contains adjustable finger holes so that a person can customize the position of the finger holes to their needs. Once a person is comfortable with the holes on the bowling ball, the settings measured from the fitting jig can be transferred to a drilling machine and the desired finger holes can be reproduced in an actual bowling ball.
In many prior art fitting jigs, the degree of adjustability is limited. Many traditional fitting jigs contain only adjustments for the middle finger and the ring finger. The position of the thumb hole is static. Such prior art devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,385 to Towers, entitled, Apparatus For Fitting and Drilling Bowling Balls.
The static position of thumb holes in many prior art fitting jigs is insufficient for many bowlers. Certain bowlers require and/or desire finger hole configurations where the position of the thumb hole can also be varied. Accordingly, in the prior art, some fitting jigs have been developed where the position of the thumb hole can be altered. Such prior art fitting jigs are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,110 to Amelio, entitled Thumb Finger Hole Positioning Device For Bowling Balls.
Although fitting jigs, such as is shown in the Amelio patent, are better than prior art static thumb hole fitting jigs, such fitting jigs still are not sufficient for many bowlers. In the Amelio patent, the thumb hole jig cannot be adjusted along the curved surface of the bowling ball. Rather, the thumb jig can only be adjusted along a linear path. Furthermore, the thumb hole jigs adjust about a pivot point that is deep within the bowling ball fitting jig. However, a thumb enters a bowling ball from the surface of the bowling ball, and pivots near the surface of the bowling ball. Do to the different points of pivotal rotation, the angles achievable by a person's thumb cannot be accurately matched by the thumb hole jig.
Prior art fitting jigs for bowling balls therefore are still not capable of accurately fitting a bowler's fingers with anatomically correct precision. Rather, prior art fitting jigs still require compromises in finger position which may cause discomfort and/or inaccuracy to the bowler.
A need therefore exists for an improved fitting jig for a bowling ball that can provide a wide variety of finger and thumb positional adjustments in an anatomically correct manner. This need is met by the present invention system and method as described and claimed below.